Republican Cong. Crane, although having appeared on our show twice in prior years, has been unable to “find a date that he is free to do the show during this campaign season.” Crane apparently plans to do only two non-televised forums with his opponent, and his staff has not responded to our offer to moderate an informal debate/discussion of the issues between Bean and Crane on our TV show. Candidate Melissa Bean has accepted our offer to do such a televised debate with Cong. Crane.

Berkowitz: Well, he has supported unequivocally President Bush’s program to cut taxes in 2001 and again in 2003. That’s correct, right?

Bean: Correct.

Berkowitz: Now, a good portion of that [program] was cuts across the board on marginal rates of taxation, right?

Bean: Hm, um.

Berkowitz: Now, how would you have voted on that? Would you have voted for either of those [tax cut] packages, if you had been the... Congressman from the 8th Cong. Dist. If you were the Cong. From the 8th Cong. Dist., if you were that person in 2001 and 2003, would you have voted yes or no on those tax cut proposals.

Bean: I liked a lot of the tax cut proposals.

Berkowitz: But, you have to vote yes or no.

Bean: My challenges with Crane have not been on the tax cuts but on the tax code, in general
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Berkowitz: Don’t you, at the end of the Day, when you are a congressman- you have to vote yes or no on what is being proposed, right?

Bean: Hm, um.

Berkowitz: The tax cut legislation that passed came before the Congress. If you were there, would you have supported it. Would you have been a yes or not on that vote?

Bean: I’d have to go back and look at it. I wasn’t there. It is a rhetorical question. I don’t have the documents in front of me.
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Jeff Berkowitz: The national Democratic Party’s platform, I believe, supports the Patriot Act.

Melissa Bean: Um- Hmm.

Berkowitz: A lot of Democrats don’t realize that. No.1, Are you aware of that and No. 2, do you agree with that position?

Bean: The Patriot Act, I think, was a reasonable response to the events of 9/11.

Berkowitz: So, you would have voted to support it?

Bean: And, we absolutely need to do some of that. There was some merit in the border control issues; in shared intelligence between different agencies. But, I think, wisely, Congress chose to put a sunset provision in it so we could go back and really evaluate what was working—where maybe we overstretched--so that we can balance civil liberties

Berkowitz: Are there things specifically that you would change-- that you know now that you would want changed before you [would] vote to continue [to keep] it [the Patriot Act].

Bean: Well, certainly I think people are a little uncomfortable with their library records, you know, being investigated for no purpose.

Berkowitz: Are they? We are going to interrupt just to say that we are going to continue to speak as the credits roll but I very much want to thank Melissa Bean—she is the Democratic candidate in the 8th Cong. District. She is challenging Cong. Phil Crane, this is his 35th year.

Berkowitz: I should say to our viewers that we have invited Cong. Crane [to come] on this show. We told his press person a month ago—let us know dates that he can do it and we will try to accommodate him. That was in July. I thought there would be some day between then and November 2 [that Cong. Crane could tape our show, “Public Affairs,” and we were told there were no days. So, I say that although we don’t endorse candidates; we do endorse the notion that everybody should do what Melissa Bean is doing --- in coming here and subjecting herself to some tough questions. And, being a good sport about that—but seriously, in educating the viewers and her voters.

Bean: It is important.

Berkowitz: And, [Cong.] Phil Crane should do it. He has done it before [he has taped our show twice in the last few years] but we are having trouble getting him on now and he should come on with Melissa Bean—I have extended that invitation to Cong. Crane’s staff [for Cong. Crane to appear for more of a real debate on my show; they said they would get back to me, but have not yet done so]. You would be happy to appear with Cong. Crane?

Bean: I would be happy to come out and [appear on the program with him]. We have been trying to get Phil Crane to come out for three years.

Berkowitz: There are debates [candidate forums] coming up. Those things should be videotaped [and televised]. We understand there has been some concern [objection expressed by the Crane campaign to video-taping of these forums by non-media members] but I have been told by the Crane campaign that it has no objection to the press coming and videotaping [these candidate forums]. There is a debate [candidate forum] this Wednesday [Aug. 18]. Right?

Bean: And, we are hoping he is going to be there, in Round Lake…

Bean: Right. And, you can go to www.melissabean.com and we will get you some information.
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Melissa Bean, 8th Cong. Dist. Candidate [D- Barrington], interviewed on “Public Affairs,” recorded on August 14, 2003, in a show that is being cablecast in many Northwest and North Shore Cook County and Lake County suburbs this week [the Week of August 23, 2004].

The show with Democratic 8th Cong. Dist. Candidate Melissa Bean will also air through-out the City of Chicago, at its usual time slot in the City, this coming Monday night, August 30 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]

Additional partial transcripts of the show will be placed on this Public Affairs blog during the next week.
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The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly broadcast every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.